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The original American Idols winner Kelly Clarkson's second album is aptly named Breakaway. With this (already double platinum) release, Kelly attempts to smash the Idol typecast and mould her own style.
Kelly has a versatile voice and can basically go in any direction she wants. But on Breakaway, it sounds like she wants to go in every direction. She is yet to find her place in the music world.
The title track is catchy, the type of sing-along song that will gain popularity quickly but will be forgotten just as fast. In "Since U Been Gone" and "Behind these hazel eyes" she sounds very similar to Avril Lavigne. Even the shorthand in the title is a popular Lavigne trait. "Addicted" reminds me of Pink a few years ago and "Where is your heart" of a LeAnn Rimes number.
Kelly Clarkson piggybacks on what works for other artists while still trying to make it her own. She falls horribly short, though "Beautiful Disaster" - a live recording from one of her concerts - saves the album from a being a complete flop.
Breakaway is a listenable but mediocre album with no real fresh appeal. Kelly has taken the safe route, and this stops her proving herself as a really great pop artist.
- Ashlin Simpson
WHAT OTHER CRITICS SAID:
"...as far as rock albums go among the teen pop set, Clarkson probably ranks somewhere among the top of her class. Kelly has a long way to go before we'll ever feel comfortable calling her anything besides an American Idol, but for now she has a sound that seems believable enough to support her considerable chops."
- Charlse Merwin for Stylus Magazine
"You can't help but wonder: Who is the real Kelly Clarkson, and when will she stop wearing her big sister's hand-me-downs?"
- Shirley Halperin for Rolling Stone
Listen to the sound clips and judge the music for yourself!
